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Biological factors in childhood hyperkinesis: A review of genetic and biochemical hypotheses
Author(s) -
McMahon Robert C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198101)37:1<12::aid-jclp2270370104>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - hyperkinesis , psychology , developmental psychology , typology , medicine , archaeology , history
Reviewed research related to prevailing hypotheses with regard to the influence of genetic and biochemical factors in childhood hyperkinesis. Studies focused on establishing the influence of genetic factors are methodologically weak but consistently suggest that genetic transmission is a plausible, if incomplete, explanation in some cases. Studies that involve attempts to understand the underlying biochemical mechanisms of hyperactivity by studying the relationships among behavior patterns, psychophysiological measures, and variations in monamine levels have been disappointing.